From left, Gerald Giesbrecht, Alan Martino, Julia Kirkham, Dallas Seitz, Diwakar Krishnamurthy, Kara Murias, and Markus Geuking.
July 22, 2024
Azrieli Accelerator celebrates its latest Catalyst Grant recipients
Six UCalgary research projects awarded funding to advance important questions in neurodevelopment research
This year’s Azrieli Accelerator Catalyst Grants are investing in UCalgary research to unlock discoveries and support children and adults with autism, ADHD and other neurodevelopmental conditions. Representing basic science, clinical research and social and population health, each research team brings a diverse range of expertise to understanding neurodevelopment and neurodevelopmental conditions across the lifespan.
The Catalyst Grant program pivots each year’s focus to meet the greatest needs in neurodevelopmental research. This year’s recipients span the accelerator’s keystone areas: brain circuitry, microbiome influences, and supports, services and systems.
“The Azrieli Accelerator supports research that explores neurodevelopment from different angles so that researchers can pull those pieces together and present a more fulsome picture of neurodevelopmental conditions and how they affect people living with them,” says Dr. Susan Graham, PhD, scientific director of the Azrieli Accelerator. “These Catalyst Grants are attracting interest from researchers across campus, reflecting the Azrieli Accelerator’s mission to strengthen transdisciplinary, collaborative partnerships and engagement.”
From artificial intelligence to the gut microbiome to the complexities of aging, this year’s recipients are each investigating fascinating areas of study. The 2024 recipients are:
Investigating the Early Life Gut Microbiome of Children at Risk for Autism
Principal investigator: Dr. Gerald Giesbrecht, PhD, Department of Paediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine.
This project aims to identify gut microbes or metabolic pathways that are differentially abundant in children at risk for autism.
Autistic Voices, Inclusive Choices: Shaping the Future of Sexual Health Education
Principal investigator: Dr. Alan Martino, PhD, Department of Community Health Services, Cumming School of Medicine.
By exploring and enhancing sexual health education for Autistic adults through workshops and interviews, this research aims to dismantle stereotypes, embrace unique perspectives and create more inclusive, impactful educational materials.
AI-Driven Augmented Reality Agents to Support Communication for Nonspeaking Autistic People
Principal investigator: Dr. Diwakar Krishnamurthy, PhD, PEng, Department of Electrical and Software Engineering, Schulich School of Engineering.
About 30 per cent of Autistic people are nonverbal. This project explores AI-driven augmented reality tools that allow people to complete spelling exercises independently.
Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Aging in Alberta
Principal investigators: Dr. Julia Kirkham, MD, and Dr. Dallas Seitz, MD, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine.
This project brings together researchers and partners focused on improving care for people with neurodevelopmental disorders as they age.
Investigation of Dopamine in ADHD
Principal investigator: Dr. Kara Murias, MD, PhD, departments of Paediatrics, Clinical Neurosciences, and Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine.
Using a new neuroimaging technique, neuromelanin MRI, this project aims to understand how dopamine production in the brain stem relates to brain networks and executive function in children to better understand the effects of ADHD medications.
From left, Markus Geuking and Drs. Shokouh Ahmadi. PhD, and Henry Nguyen, MD.
Courtesy Markus Geuking
The Impact of Viral Maternal Immune Activation-Induced Changes in Microbiota Composition, Metabolite Profile, and Intestinal Permeability on Neurodevelopment in the Offspring
Principal investigator: Dr. Markus Geuking, PhD, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine.
This project investigates how changes that happen in intestinal permeability during viral infection can impact neurodevelopment of the fetus.
This prestigious group represents the breadth and depth of the research and expertise at the University of Calgary, including the seven research institutes within the Cumming School of Medicine: the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, the Libin Cardiovascular Institute, the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health, the O’Brien Institute for Public Health and the Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases.
The Azrieli Accelerator launched at UCalgary in 2022 thanks to a generous $25-million gift from the Azrieli Foundation. Levering expertise and partnerships across UCalgary and our community, the Azrieli Accelerator ignites research and initiatives to explore neurodevelopment and neurodiverse initiatives across the lifespan. Through this work, the Azrieli Accelerator seeks to make meaningful and positive changes in the lives of neurodivergent individuals and their families.
Susan Graham is a professor in the Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Arts and scientific director of the Azrieli Accelerator. She is director of the Owerko Centre and a member of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute and the Hotchkiss Brain Institute at the Cumming School of Medicine.
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